In open cockpit vehicles, such as motorcycles, a fairing or windshield of curved clear plastic is typically provided to protect the rider from wind and rain.
Although conventional fairings protect the rider from wind, typically, such fairings produce high wind noise which increases with the speed of travel. As a motorcycle moves forwardly, air is forced upwardly from the leading edge of the fairing and thence rearwardly over an upper trailing edge of the fairing. In addition, wind is directed outwardly towards each side around the motorcycle cockpit. Typically, the airstream swings downwardly and into the cockpit after it reaches the fairings trailing edge. This airstream collides with the cockpit's internal air pattern to create a chaotic flow, known as buffeting to motorcyclists. Butteting can cause the motorcyclist's helmet to shake to such an extent as to effect the ability to see. In addition, high and erratic noise level is associated with this chaotic flow, which can be very disruptive to the rider.
The inventor herein has discovered that the provision of a projecting trim piece along the side edges and upper trailing edge of the motorcycle fairing will interrupt the airflow over the fairing so as to substantially decrease buffeting in the open cockpit area. While the problem of buffeting was substantially reduced by prior art trim pieces, the inventor has found that rainwater flowing off the fairing can accumulate and spill over the trim piece, causing problems to the rider. The inventor has also found that conventional gutter strips do not necessarily eliminate this problem.